1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display apparatus including the liquid crystal display panel.
2. Discussion of the Background
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) apparatus is one of the most broadly used flat display apparatuses. In the liquid crystal display apparatus, a voltage is applied to liquid crystal molecules to adjust the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules. Due to the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules, optical characteristics of a liquid crystal cell such as birefringence, optical rotator power, dichroism and light scattering characteristic are adjusted to display an image.
Generally, the liquid crystal display panel includes two substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates. Liquid crystal material is injected between two substrates to form the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal display apparatus includes two polarizing elements disposed outside of two substrates. The polarizing elements may be at least one of a reflective polarizing element and an absorptive polarizing element to pass or absorb a light having a specific direction to display an image. The reflective polarizing element passes a light vibrating in a specific direction and reflects lights vibrating in other directions. The absorptive polarizing element passes a light vibrating in a specific direction and absorbs lights vibrating in other directions. However, use of increased number in kinds of polarizing elements included in the display apparatus tends to decrease the luminance of the display apparatus and increase the manufacturing cost of the display apparatus.
To increase the luminance of the display apparatus, an improved optical sheet is generally included in the liquid crystal display apparatus. The improved optical sheet may include a dual brightness enhancement film (“DBEF”). The dual brightness enhancement film may reuse a polarized component of the light which is reflected at the reflective polarizing element through a process called polarization recycling process, improving the optical efficiency of the liquid crystal display apparatus.
In spite of the above-mentioned merit, research has been done to find a method of enhancing the optical efficiency of the liquid crystal display apparatus without using the dual brightness enhancement film to lower the manufacturing cost. Thus, recently, a new reflective polarizing element employing a cholesteric liquid crystal (“CLC”), a wire grid polarizer (“WGP”) or a birefringence optical fiber has been studied.
However, when a reflective polarizing element is used, the size and volume of the reflective polarizing element may be affected by the changes in the temperature and humidity, resulting in contortion of the display panel.